Overthinking and Anxiety

This is going to be a slightly different post to the ones you'd normally see on my blog. For this post, there's going to be nothing about beauty or clothes, it's just a post about overthinking and anxiety, something I and so many people struggle with. It's going to be more of a post where I just ramble and let my thoughts take over the typing, so I can pour my thoughts out and hopefully help at least one person on the way.

I have a range of different things going on in my life right now that are just causing anxieties to take over me. The minute one of these things seems to be getting under control another one pops up out of nowhere in a sort of "oh you were almost completely anxiety free, that isn't going to happen - here's something else to worry about" fashion, but that's anxiety for you. I'm not going to go into too much detail about these anxieties because I don't see how you reading about someone else's worries is going to help your own but I'll speak a bit about one of the biggest things. It's something I haven't been open about with many people but I just need to let out.

Most of the anxieties i'm struggling with at the moment circle around one event from around February. I say one event, but really that day was just the start of something that's been going on since then. To put it briefly, I had been told something by a friend a few months before the day i'm talking about and I hadn't been sure whether or not to believe what she was saying. I'd let the worry of the possibility i'd been lied to consume me for months but then I decided I couldn't take it anymore and one of my other friends tried to help me find out the truth. Basically, we were told she had been lying by someone else that was involved, but then I had the added worry of not actually knowing who was telling the truth: this person or my friend.

The anxiety of not knowing what it going on and not knowing the truth about this situation has overtaken most of my mind since February and has affected me in more ways that I can describe. I haven't let many people in and told them how much it's affecting me, and I know I should but i can't really describe the situation vocally without sounding like a complete muppet. I've sort of accepted the fact that i might not ever know the truth, mainly down to the fact that i don't have the confidence to confront the people involved face to face but it still hasn't really helped get rid of these anxieties.

I spend hours on end just simply sitting and thinking about this situation and juggling the possible truths in my mind, and as much as i really just want to stop doing this and let it all go, i can't.

I'm sorry you're having to read my ramblings (if anyone actually is) but as you've probably guessed, this has been bothering me so much that i can't stop typing. This has actually been my first blog post that I've found really easy to write - it's all just come out without me even pausing to think. My description of the main cause of my anxieties right now probably makes absolutely no sense to anyone but me, but to be completely honest, i don't care! It felt indescribably good to let it all out. But now i'm getting to my solutions to try and stop myself overthinking, and hopefully this will be the bit that could help a fellow overthinker or anxiety sufferer.

The first thing i try to do to clear my head and stop myself thinking about it to much is visiting something called The Thoughts Room which is a part of The Quiet Place Project. Basically, you go onto the thoughts room and you can type your feelings into a box similar to one like a facebook status, and then you watch as your feelings disappear into a starry sky. Only you can see what you write in the thoughts room and it's a brilliant way of freeing your mind. I'm a regular to the thoughts room and i find it's best used in the dark with your headphones in (it plays calming music).

Secondly (and i know this will make me sound insane but just go with it - it helps) i create stories in my head about things i wish could happen. And sometimes i take it one step further and create 'Secret Boards' on Pinterest (you can have a maximum of 3 at one time and they're boards only you can see) of pictures to go with this story. Having this place in my head i can go to when i'm overcome with anxiety has helped me so much, and has actually helped to calm me down when I've had a panic attack. It's important though that you don't let these dream situations take over your mind as that can affect you even more. They should be something you wish would happen but know that they probably won't, rather than something you set your heart on happening.

The third and final thing i'm going to suggest as a way of relaxing and getting rid of anxieties is talking. Now i know this sounds so basic and almost stupid of me to mention, but it's something that has really helped. We all need someone we can rant to or cry to, someone we can lean on for support and i'm lucky enough to have a few people who fit that description and have helped me loads with dealing with anxieties and panic attacks. It's hard to open up to people, even those you trust the most, because you can almost create a barrier between the worries in your head and real life, and it can be hard to learn to voice these worries but once you get rid of this barrier, it really helps. You can choose who you open up to, and should choose someone you trust and you know won't judge you for what you say, and who will just sit and listen, and offer advice if you choose to accept it.

So this was my view on anxiety and overthinking and the things i do to help overcome these things. I'm sorry this was a huge explosion of my thoughts and feelings but I've found in the past that reading someone else open up can actually help me in the long run, and i hope this does the same to you.

If this has helped you at all and you want me to write a post on anything around this subject (panic attacks, anxiety etc) then just let me know.

I'm going to try out your pinterest idea it sounds really helpful, I suffer with anxiety myself and have spent the last week trying to write a post about it on my blog, you've really inspired me to keep going with it, it is one of those things that it gets a lot easier to deal with once you start talking to people about it, wish I'd followed your blog sooner Chloe xx Emmi